Hardware encoder

Abstract

A hardware encoder includes a chassis including at least one vent cut into a first surface of the chassis. The hardware encoder further includes an input interface disposed within the chassis and configured to receive a media signal. The hardware encoder further includes encoding circuitry disposed within the chassis and configured to encode the media signal to generate a media stream. The hardware encoder further includes a network interface disposed within the chassis and configured to send the media stream to a publishing destination. The hardware encoder further includes a bezel attached to the first surface of the chassis and enabling a view of a display screen. A portion of the bezel extrudes in a direction away from the first surface to enable airflow into the at least one vent.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A hardware encoder comprising:
 a chassis including at least one vent cut into a front surface of the chassis; 
 an input interface disposed within the chassis and configured to receive a media signal; 
 encoding circuitry disposed within the chassis and configured to encode the media signal to generate a media stream; 
 a network interface disposed within the chassis and configured to send the media stream to a publishing destination; and 
 a bezel removably attached to the front surface of the chassis and enabling a view of a display screen, a front surface of the bezel having a wide portion and a narrow portion positioned laterally adjacent to one another only on the front surface of the bezel, the narrow portion of the bezel is narrower than the wide portion of the bezel, the narrow portion of the bezel extruding in a forward direction away from the wide portion of the bezel and the front surface of the chassis, the narrow portion of the bezel including venting holes formed on the front surface of the bezel, wherein a top extrusion opening and a bottom extrusion opening is positioned respectively at a top side surface of the narrow portion of the bezel and a bottom side surface of the narrow portion of the bezel, wherein the venting holes and the top extrusion opening and the bottom extrusion opening enable direct airflow from the venting holes and the top extrusion opening and the bottom extrusion opening into the at least one vent cut into the front surface of the chassis, and the wide portion of the bezel having holes to enable touching of the display screen, one or more buttons, and at least one light emitting diode status indicator, 
 wherein the narrow portion of the bezel extends up to three eighths of an inch in the forward direction away from the front surface of the chassis and the bezel is produced from a single piece of metal. 
 
     
     
       2. The hardware encoder of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more input devices configured to receive user input related to encoding of the media signal. 
     
     
       3. The hardware encoder of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more output devices configured to output status information associated with encoding of the media signal. 
     
     
       4. The hardware encoder of  claim 1 , wherein the encoding circuitry comprises a field programmable gate array (FPGA). 
     
     
       5. The hardware encoder of  claim 4 , wherein the FPGA is configured to encode the media signal to generate the media stream based on a first encoding algorithm. 
     
     
       6. The hardware encoder of  claim 5 , wherein the network interface is further configured to receive data corresponding to a second encoding algorithm. 
     
     
       7. The hardware encoder of  claim 6 , further comprising a processor configured to reprogram the FPGA to encode a second media signal to generate a second media stream based on the second encoding algorithm. 
     
     
       8. The hardware encoder of  claim 6 , wherein the data corresponding to the second encoding algorithm is received via a message using a message queue telemetry transport protocol. 
     
     
       9. The hardware encoder of  claim 8 , wherein the message is based on an identifier corresponding to the hardware encoder, or wherein the message is received from a message broker system. 
     
     
       10. The hardware encoder of  claim 6 , wherein the data corresponding to the second encoding algorithm is received from a mobile device connected to a private local network. 
     
     
       11. The hardware encoder of  claim 10 , wherein the private local network comprises a local area Wi-Fi network or a Bluetooth network. 
     
     
       12. The hardware encoder of  claim 10 , wherein the data corresponding to the second encoding algorithm is received from a mobile application associated with a social network. 
     
     
       13. The hardware encoder of  claim 12 , wherein the network interface is further configured to send the encoded media stream to a publishing destination associated with the social network. 
     
     
       14. The hardware encoder of  claim 1 , wherein the network interface is further configured to receive configuration information, and wherein the encoding circuitry is further configured, during the encoding of the media signal, to adjust the encoding based on the configuration information. 
     
     
       15. A method comprising:
 receiving a media signal at an input interface of a hardware encoder, the input interface disposed within a chassis of the hardware encoder, the chassis including at least one vent cut into a front surface of the chassis; 
 encoding the media signal to generate a media stream at encoding circuitry of the hardware encoder, the encoding circuitry disposed within the chassis; 
 and wherein the hardware encoder comprises a bezel removably attached to the front surface of the chassis and enabling a view of a display screen, a front surface of the bezel having a wide portion and a narrow portion positioned laterally adjacent to one another only on the front surface of the bezel, the narrow portion of the bezel is narrower than the wide portion of the bezel, the narrow portion of the bezel extruding in a forward direction away from the wide portion of the bezel and the front surface of the chassis, the narrow portion of the bezel including venting holes formed on a front surface of the bezel, a top extrusion opening and a bottom extrusion opening positioned respectively at a top side surface of the bezel and a bottom side surface of the bezel, wherein the venting holes and the top extrusion opening and bottom extrusion opening enable direct airflow from the venting holes and the top extrusion opening and the bottom extrusion opening into the at least one vent cut into the front surface of the chassis, and the wide portion of the bezel having holes to enable touching of the display screen, one or more buttons, and at least one light emitting diode status indicator; and 
 sending the media stream to a publishing destination via a network interface, the network interface disposed within the chassis 
 wherein the narrow portion of the bezel extends up to three eighths of an inch in the forward direction away from the front surface of the chassis and the bezel is produced from a single piece of metal. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising encoding the media signal to generate the media stream based on a first encoding algorithm. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising receiving data corresponding to a second encoding algorithm. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising reprograming the encoding circuitry to encode a second media signal to generate a second media stream based on the second encoding algorithm.